Both parents communicate about all major decisions and decide together what they want for their child. For example, the parents decide together what school their child will attend.

Each parent makes decisions for the child when the parent has physical custody of the child. For example, if the child gets sick while with the father, the father decides what doctor to take the child to.

The parents make big decisions together and smaller decisions individually when they have physical custody of the child. For example, the parents would decide together what school their child would attend, but if the child has an after school field trip, the parent who has physical custody of the child during that time would decide if the child should go.

Each parent has authority over certain areas of decisions. For example, the mother would have the authority to make decisions about school, and the father would have authority to make decisions about religion.

Sole legal custody

Sole legal custody is an arrangement where one parent has full responsibility to make all decisions for the child.

Sole legal custody is becoming less common because many state custody guidelines have a default for joint legal custody. In these states, sole legal custody is awarded only if a parent shows that joint legal custody is harmful to the child.

Sole legal custody may be necessary in cases of child abuse, neglect, abandonment, parental substance abuse, parental instability, or other situations where a parent has placed a child in danger.

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